Phytochemical composition, antioxidant and anti-proliferative properties of Genista ferox Poirret. aerial parts

Abstract Introduction Medicinal applications of Genista species throughout the Mediterranean area are widespread. More specifically, Genista ferox Poirret., endemic to North Africa, holds important diuretic, anti-gout and –rheumatism actions. It is also employed for the treatment of scrofulous tumors. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the antioxidant and anti-proliferative effects of the ethanolic extract and isolated fractions of aerial parts of G. ferox . Identification by UPLC and NMR analyses of constituents of the most active fraction was equally carried out. Methods Genista ferox extract and fractions were examined for their total flavonoid content, scavenging activities against DPPH, ABTS and OH· radicals, H 2 O 2 elimination, Fe ++ chelating capacity. Anti-proliferative activity using breast carcinoma cells (MCF-7) and CDC25 phosphatase was also assessed. Results Significant levels of flavonoids were recorded in FIII fraction which exhibited the highest inhibition percentages against DPPH (95.79 ± 1.37), ABTS (83.17 ± 4.30) (p  0.001) and H 2 O 2 (91.08 ± 0.99) (p  50 50 of 10.16 ± 0.44, 49.36 ± 0.28 and 31.21 ± 0.6 μg/mL, respectively). The remarkable antioxidant and cytotoxic activities of FIII could be attributed to five identified flavonoids: β-sitosterol-3-O-β-D-glucopyranoside (1), genistein (2), luteolin (3), luteolin 7- O-β-D-glucopyranoside (4) and Chrysin 7-( 4" -O-acetyl) - O-β-glucopyranoside (5). Conclusion Data from the present study suggest that Genista ferox is a rich source for value-added molecules as potential antioxidants and anti-proliferative agents for optimal human health.